Image printing apparatus and image printing method

Abstract

There is provided an image printing apparatus having color materials of a plurality of colors including black and performing color printing using the plurality of color materials. The image printing apparatus includes a data acquisition interface that acquires color printing data (PDL data, etc.), a residual amount detection unit that detects the residual amount of the plurality of color materials, a drawing unit that draws the color printing data acquired by the data acquisition interface as printing data that is printable with a color material of black when the residual amount detection unit has detected that the residual amount of at least one color material excluding black is a predetermined amount or less, and a recording unit that executes printing processing on the basis of the printing data drawn by the drawing unit.

1 . An image printing apparatus having color materials of a plurality of colors and performing color printing using the plurality of color materials, the apparatus comprising: 
 a data acquisition interface which acquires color printing data;    an instruction storage memory which stores a monochrome printing instruction;    a drawing unit which draws the color printing data acquired by the data acquisition interface as printing data being printable with a monochrome material when a monochrome printing instruction is stored in the instruction storage memory; and    a recording unit which executes printing processing on the basis of the printing data drawn by the drawing unit.    
     
     
         2 . An image printing apparatus having color materials of a plurality of colors and performing color printing using the plurality of color materials, the apparatus comprising: 
 a data acquisition interface which acquires color printing data;    a residual amount detection unit which detects the residual amount of the plurality of color materials;    a drawing unit which, when the residual amount detection unit has detected that the residual amount of at least one color material is a predetermined amount or less, draws the color printing data acquired by the data acquisition interface as printing data being printable with the other monochrome materials; and    a recording unit which executes printing processing on the basis of the printing data drawn by the drawing unit.    
     
     
         3 . The image printing apparatus according to  claim 2 , 
 wherein, when the residual amount detection unit has detected that the residual amount of at least one color material other than black is a predetermined amount or less, the drawing unit draws the color printing data acquired by the data acquisition interface as printing data being printable with a black material.    
     
     
         4 . The image printing apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a color printing data storage memory which stores the color printing data until the end of printing, 
 wherein the drawing unit draws the color printing data stored in the color printing data storage memory as printing data being printable with a black material.    
     
     
         5 . The image printing apparatus according to  claim 4 , 
 wherein the color printing data storage memory is an external storage unit.    
     
     
         6 . The image printing apparatus according to  claim 3 , 
 wherein the color printing data is data being described in a page description language.    
     
     
         7 . The image printing apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a selection unit which selects whether creating printing data being printable with a black material or displaying information showing that color printing is impossible and printing processing will be stopped, when the residual amount detection unit has detected that the residual amount of a color material is a predetermined amount or less.  
     
     
         8 . (canceled)  
     
     
         9 . An image printing apparatus having color materials of a plurality of colors and performing color printing using the plurality of color materials, the apparatus comprising: 
 a data acquisition interface which acquires color printing data;    a drawing unit which draws printing data having a tone on the basis of the color printing data;    a drawn data storage memory which stores the printing data having a tone and being drawn by the drawing unit;    a residual amount detection unit which detects the residual amount of the plurality of color materials;    a data conversion unit which, when the residual amount detection unit has detected that the residual amount of at least one color material is a predetermined amount or less, converts the printing data having a tone and being stored in the drawn data storage memory to printing data being printable with the other monochrome materials; and    a recording unit which executes printing processing on the basis of the printing data converted by the data conversion unit.    
     
     
         10 . The image printing apparatus according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein the plurality of color materials include black, and    wherein, when the residual amount detection unit has detected that the residual amount of at least one color material other than black is a predetermined amount or less, the data conversion unit converts the printing data having a tone and being stored in the drawn data storage memory to printing data being printable with a black material.    
     
     
         11 . The image printing apparatus according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein the printing data having a tone is continuous tone printing data.    
     
     
         12 . The image printing apparatus according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein the printing data having a tone is halftone printing data.    
     
     
         13 . The image printing apparatus according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein the drawing data storage memory is an external storage unit.    
     
     
         14 . (canceled)  
     
     
         15 . An image printing apparatus having color materials of a plurality of colors and performing color printing using the plurality of color materials, the apparatus comprising: 
 a data acquisition interface which acquires drawn printing data having a tone and being created outside;    a drawn data storage memory which stores the drawn printing data having a tone and being acquired by the data acquisition interface;    a residual amount detection unit which detects the residual amount of the plurality of color materials;    a data conversion unit which, when the residual amount detection unit has detected that the residual amount of at least one color material is a predetermined amount or less, converts the printing data having a tone and being stored in the drawn data storage memory to printing data being printable with the other monochrome materials; and    a recording unit which executes printing processing on the basis of the printing data converted by the data conversion unit.    
     
     
         16 . The image printing apparatus according to  claim 15 , 
 wherein the plurality of color materials include black, and    wherein, when the residual amount detection unit has detected that the residual amount of at least one color material other than black is a predetermined amount or less, the data conversion unit converts the printing data having a tone and being stored in the drawn data storage memory to printing data being printable with a black material.    
     
     
         17 . The image printing apparatus according to  claim 16 , 
 wherein the printing data having a tone is continuous tone printing data.    
     
     
         18 . The image printing apparatus according to  claim 16 , 
 wherein the printing data having a tone is halftone printing data.    
     
     
         19 . The image printing apparatus according to  claim 16 , 
 wherein the drawing data storage memory is an external storage unit.    
     
     
         20 - 28 . (canceled)  
     
     
         29 . An image processing device comprising: 
 a first conversion unit which converts color halftone data to monochrome intermediate data; and    a second conversion unit which converts the monochrome intermediate data to monochrome halftone data by using an error diffusion method.    
     
     
         30 . The image processing device according to  claim 29 , 
 wherein the second conversion unit uses a green noise error diffusion method.    
     
     
         31 . The image processing device according to  claim 29 , 
 wherein the second conversion unit uses a blue noise mask method in place of the error diffusion method.    
     
     
         32 . The image processing device according to  claim 29 , 
 wherein the second conversion unit uses a green noise mask method in place of the error diffusion method.    
     
     
         33 . The image processing device according to  claim 29 , 
 wherein, when the color halftone data is multi value (N-value) data, the first conversion unit calculates pixel values of the monochrome intermediate data from multi-value levels of object pixels and color material densities.    
     
     
         34 . (canceled)